I was the only one who had not written out the chemical equations to 21 reactions we were going to be doing in class. I expected that this would lower my grade significantly and I was completely aware that it was my fault. However, my teacher decided to not even let me carry out any of the reactions. I explained to her how this was unnecessary and excessive; the equations were not needed to be able to do the lab (you just mix two chemicals together), and that not doing the homework, and losing points because of this, was punishment enough. Then, she threatened to “write me up” (get me in trouble) because I was arguing with her (which I later found out to be an allowed reason for discipline in my school). I met her at lunch and she decided to let me do the lab. I was still enraged. She could have let me do the lab in the first place, and I would have been able to spend my lunch the way I wanted, and she wouldn’t have had to be there monitoring. And because I did the lab 2 days after it was supposed to be done, I forgot about the 2nd part of the lab.
My world history teacher made us study the cinematic devices in Schindler’s List and write a paper on them. Didn’t know it was film class… She also put a question on her final exam asking what the most noticeable device was in the movie- sound, light, etc., totally subjective I thought. And then there’s the time she didn’t want to read a description (from a book listing the 1000 most important people in history) of Archduke Francis Ferdinand’s assassination because it didn’t match hers or our history book’s description, and thus was inaccurate. However, it matched britannica online’s description.
I had an English teacher in 11th grade who refused to discuss the books we were reading in class. “For Whom the Bell Tolls,” “Grapes of Wrath,” the mind numbingly boring “The Scarlet Letter.” We’d read them all and have zero help from her in class. We’d have to take the tests without her help, or even without knowing if we understood all the concepts from the book.
Her reason? Because she didn’t want to help out the kids who didn’t read the book. Arguing with her about it only put you on her bad list. I continued to argue with her because I was on her bad list from Day 1.
I told this to my mom and she said that some of her best English classes were when the teacher would work through a book with you and you could actually discuss and appreciate the finer points of literature. She agreed that my teacher’s way was a pretty stupid way to run an English class.
That’s too bad because I read “The Scarlet Letter” and about died of boredom, but our English teacher went over it with us and brought the book to life. By the time she was done with it, I had never read or heard of a more interesting book.
I forgot my English teacher when I was a senior in high school. Actually it was a student teacher who took over for like a month. She was clueless. The first day, to quiet us down at the beginning of class, she turned off the lights. OK, that works for, like, first-graders. But remember, we were high school seniors! There was a moment of stunned silence, then everyone burst out laughing.
We spent the entire month studying Animal Farm. This was an advanced senior English class. I personally had covered this book probably a half dozen times since junior high. Even if I hadn’t, the symbolism in this book is hardly subtle. We could have covered the whole thing in a week, tops. Instead, we spent two weeks split up into groups, with each group assigned to cover one particular symbol. Our group finished in a day, and spent the rest of the time trying to entertain ourselves. Finally, one day about a week into it, we hit the “Beasts of England, beasts of Ireland” song. So we sang it. Out loud. In the middle of a dead-silent classroom. Ah, good times.
OK, that was really more about the students than the teacher, but I’m hopped up on Excedrin, so cut me some slack.
In college, a grad student (mid-twenties) taught my macroeconomics course. The whole semester instead of saying fiscal (as in fiscal policy) he said “fisical” (pronounced physical). Stupid, huh?
Near the end of the semester, a girl finally spoke up when he repeated this egregious mistake. He smirked and wrote “fisical” on the board. All he told her was not to confuse it with physical. He had no idea.
For 10th-12th grades, you had the option to go to a special Vocational School for half of the school year then spend the rest at your High School. I chose the Computer Technology Course. Well, there’s plenty of stories to tell but this took the cake. The main teacher came back after a year off so I got to meet her nice attitude the 2nd year around. The first teacher was harsh but she knew her stuff. By the 3rd year, I knew what to expect but I was happy I was left with the other two seniors to study on our own and ask questions now and then. I felt sorry for the first year student newbies because this lame teacher video taped herself doing lectures. How can you ask a TV and VCR questions?
I don’t have any myself, but I can pass on two that my mom recently went through when she finally completed her degree.
In a history course, the prof. wanted to teach Les Miserables, but didn’t want to actually read it, so she assigned the students to see the recently remake, with Geoffrey Rush. Which had been in theatres two months ago, and wasn’t out on video yet. So the teacher describes the movie to the class, then tests them on it. My mom had (naturally) already read the book years before, and mentioned this to the teacher. So, on the test, whenever mom’s answers didn’t match the teacher, the teacher gave her the credit, assuming that was how it was in the book!
She also had to take a class on buisness on the internet. The professor was only teaching to keep food on his table until his web design company took off. Whenever he got a job for his company, he would make it into an assignment for his class. I’m almost certain this is illegal. It’s certainly unethical. The guy quit a week before the final, without any instructions or preparation for the TA or a substitute to give the final. Kinda hope this guy’s company was one of the first to go under in the tech bust. Mom says she’s been checking to see if he’s shown up among the homeless when she goes to work, but no luck yet.
I was taking a class in “Deaf Culture.” According to
the teacher:
Pathology is the study of deafness.
Harpo Marx was deaf. (An urban legend.)
According to the 100 page textbook (written by friends of hers):
“No one has ever invented a language by themselves.”
(I gave her three examples. Klingon by Dr Marc Okrand,
Quenya by Tolkin, Solresol by Jean Francois Sudre.)
There were other examples. But those were the gems.
She asked me not to ask anymore questions in class.
